Reliable
by Shaz1
Summary: The third story in my trait series. Quinn has proven time and tie again that he is reliable- none more so than towards the end of season two...
1. Chapter 1

Reliable

Peter Quinn looked down the scope across the lake. He watched as the couple enjoyed the fresh air- the way that they looked at each other told a picture of love and happiness. He sighed as he folded the scope up and placed it back in his pocket. He turned and made his way back to his hideout. He sat down on his sleeping bag and carefully popped open the tin of tuna- his trusty fork set in his other hand. He rested his head back against the wall and chewed thoughtfully.

He was a killer. There were no two ways about it- he killed people for a living. Sometimes to directly protect himself or somebody else and sometimes simply because he had been told to. This assignment fell into the last category. He had rarely questioned an assignment, he knew his place and he knew what he had to do. National security was more important than he was and if that was the sacrifice he had to make he was happy to live with that.

Something about this felt wrong. He rarely knew the full story behind one of his hits- he worked on the kill list- confident in the knowledge that the target had made that list for good reason. He was an assassin, a soldier, an operative- he was whatever word you chose to use, but he still killed people for a living. He closed his eyes and sighed, this was not as easy as he thought it would be.

He tried to tell himself that seeing Carrie so full of life and happy had nothing to do with his feelings on this. Her dedication to the case and loyalty to what was right just made him look at her differently. She was dedicated and diligent and although she had her flaws, too many to count, she acted for the right reasons. He sighed again, he wasn't used to working in this kind of a team, sure he worked on group, but it was such a different dynamic. He had to admit it to himself, as hard as it was, Carrie Mathison had officially made it to the very elite list of people that he considered his friends.

He had accepted this assignment directly from Dar Adal- the man he had served his entire adult life- yet he wasn't fully sure that even the head of black ops knew the reason behind this hit. He was clearly only here to serve the needs of David Estes of that he was certain- it was just whether there was some underlying risk to security that he didn't know about. He sighed again- he usually trusted his instinct and every fibre of his being was screaming to it that Brody was done, he was genuinely just at the lake with the woman that he loved. He had left his wife for Christ sake.

Quinn got to his feet and stowed his rifle beside him, his side arm loaded and within easy reach of his fingers he settled down for a sleep. The next day was make or break- he knew this couldn't be dragged out forever and one way or another he needed to end this.

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He flexed his fingers, trigger finger rest just out of the cage his grip tight enough to control the rifle and loose enough to not cause tension to stray his shot. He looked down the scope- the man was praying. He blinked, he could make this shot in his sleep, hell he could make this shot from a mile away- but something inside him was stopping him. Finger loose on the trigger he took a breath in and a breath out and then nothing.

It felt wrong, because it was wrong. He was certain of that. He knew what he needed to do- and it wasn't this.

Silently he moved back through the words and packed up- all trace of him ever being there erased effortlessly and he hiked up the highway. Half a mile further up the road and he ducked back into the woods. He looped around and ten minutes later he was back at his car- chilly and tired, but determined to do what had to be done. He looked in his mirror to make sure no one was watching him, and within seconds his journey back to Langley was on.

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David Estes sighed as he stepped through the door into his darkened hallway, it had been a long day and he had still not received an update from the operative Peter Quinn. Estes had heard nothing but good things about the work of Quinn- Dar Adal had promised his best and had appeared to deliver. The young man was quiet and focussed- his mind clearly processing information quickly and accurately- hell he had easily matched Carrie, maybe he had tamed some of the madness who knew. But yet the black ops agent had failed to deliver to the main reason for his presence and that was making him twitchy.

He knew the man wasn't gunshy, and he certainly wasn't a coward- anyone that survived more than ten years in black ops was clearly more than capable. He had to admit the younger man moved with an confidence and grace that spoke of the skill his crumpled shirt and slacks covered. He had an intense gaze that held a hint of danger to it, so Estes had no doubt the man was capable of completing his mission- he just wished he would hurry up and do it.

He stepped into his bedroom, the lamp on his bedside switched on and began unbuttoning his shirt when he just caught something amiss out of the corner of his eyes- the very object of his thoughts sat in the chair in the corner of his bedroom. Silent and hidden in the shadows, he observed the silenced gun resting on his thigh and the black gloves that covered his hands. He couldn't help the deep swallow that escaped him as he processed this latest event.

"Is it done?" he asked, almost sure that must be why the man was currently at his house

"No"

"No?" he queried, surprised at the response and the almost menacing manner that the young man sat in front of him. Quinn shook his head at him, his posture relaxed but his hand still gripped on the gun. Estes turned slightly to look at the assassin, further confused when the man began detailing recent events. He had a bad feeling where this was heading, and this was only confirmed when Quinn uttered that there was no threat to the nation.

"Are you suddenly an Analyst Quinn?" Estes asked, attempting to keep the frustration and worry out of his voice.

"No" Quinn stated over dramatically. "I am a guy that kills bad guys" he stated. Estes took the opening, telling him he had made a mess of his assignment- surprised when the Black Ops operative calmly and rationally stated all of the reasons that Brody was no threat, and finishing on exactly who he was a threat to.

He had been right when he had realised the intelligence of the operative in front of him, and grateful for the solid work that the man had put into the operation- proving that he was a good agent and not just a hired gun- yet now that appeared to be biting him on the ass. Not to mention him apparently falling for the charm of god dammed Carrie Mathison.

He sighed to himself, knowing when he was beaten and already deciding to reassign the job to another agent. But yet again it appeared the other man had out manoeuvred him. The man got to his feet and moved two steps forward, gun still in hand but not raised. Something about the movements of the man, the steely glint in his eye and the steady gaze made Estes take two apparently involuntary steps back and his breath to momentarily catch in his throat. He had no doubt in his mind that Quinn was capable of killing him if he thought it was necessary.

"Nothing happens to Brody" he stated his voice low and calm.

"Or?"

"You will find me back in this bedroom one night. Right back in that chair. Because I am a guy that kills bad guys" he looked straight in the eyes of the larger man, never wavering and never flinching. He meant every word that he had said, and he was pretty sure the senior man knew that.

Estes looked at him as he walked away. The older man could feel his heart hammering in his chest, and he knew that Quinn would be true to his word. He waited for the other man to be gone silently into the night before he let out the breath he had been holding. He ran his hand over his face and took a moment to settle his nerves.

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Quinn walked out of the house and down the road to his car without looking back. Within minutes he was gone, on the road to his new hotel room, awaiting his next assignment. He knew his last apartment had been penetrated, someone had been in and gone through his stuff- and he was pretty sure it was at Saul's request, they had to have found Julia somehow.

He didn't really mind- it wasn't exactly his homely home, and he had kind of expected to find they had been in as soon as he had got the call from Julia.

He was comfortable with what he had done- it was the right thing. He was a killer- he wasn't a murderer- and killing Brody would have been just that- murder, and he wasn't doing that.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Carrie Mathison tried to hide her smile as she walked into the CIA building at Langley- it was the day of the memorial service, but her mood didn't reflect sadness. She was happy- not due to anyone who had been harmed, but because finally she could be seen with Brody- in daylight and in public. He had actually left his wife, walked away from his family and stepped down from Congress. Everything he had promised to do, she needed to get today out of the way, and then she could decide where her future was heading.

She swiped in and headed straight to Saul's office. They both moved forward for a hug, a few moments to catch up before they had to head towards the elevators and their individual destinations. She almost wish Saul was going to the memorial with her but she understood why he wasn't.

"Hey have you seen Quinn?" she asked him after a few moments.

"No, the last time I saw Quinn was just before he headed out with Galvez to find you" Saul replied, his mind ticking over. He had some thoughts on Quinn being involved in the major change of heart Estes had shown, and he intended to attempt to discuss it with the younger man- yet his convenient disappearance wasn't making that very easy.

"Kind of strange timing don't you think?" Carrie asked. "He stayed for the debrief and then gone with no trace" she added with raised eye brows suspecting that Saul knew more.

"Not that strange- he was assigned to the task force for Nazir- we got Nazir so in all likelihood Estes reassigned him" Saul stated, not fully buying it. Carrie sighed, she had a hunch that there was far more to it than that. Quinn was more than an analyst- that was certain but the way he had just disappeared seemed strange to her. She had found herself actually half missing his easy company, she had come to rely on him throughout the whole Brody/Nazir op, although she would have loved the chance to actually find out who Peter Quinn was.

She sighed as she continued her conversation with Saul- her interest further piqued when he told her Estes owed him one- wondering if that was in anyway linked to Quinn. She didn't bother asking- Saul's manner and his quick walk informed her that he wouldn't tell her there and then. His next words confirmed that to her as he promised a story for another time.

Their meeting declined rapidly as soon as he realised that she was considering leaving the agency to be with Brody, and as he walked away from her she felt a hint of sadness catch her. She turned and headed towards the memorial, looking around the sea of familiar faces and still not seeing Quinn, she headed towards her seat and managed to make eye contact with Brody as he sat down. Who knew that getting up to have a rendezvous with Brody would be one of her best decisions- although it didn't feel that way as her feet left the ground and she was blasted back against the wall.

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Saul Berenson rubbed his hands over his exhausted face- how the hell had it come to this? Everyone was dead, carnage surrounding the CIA building and the Case officer he had considered family was missing. He attempted to call her, only to be diverted to her voicemail time and time again.

Where did he even start in this situation? He was the ranking officer on site- he was running the show, but at this point they didn't even know what had happened. He looked in the phonebook of his cell- who else could he bring in to help with this mess? Dar had stepped up to help him with other matters, bringing in some of his own guys to help with asset management whilst Saul covered the scene and the devastation that surrounded him, all the while praying that Carrie would return his call.

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Peter Quinn looked up from his whiskey glass as the news played out in front of his eyes. He felt his stomach turn as he saw the damage that the bomb blast had caused. A wave of nausea overwhelmed him as the image of Nicholas Brody flashed up on the screen- the very video that he had personally shown the former marine all those months ago now being utilised to claim the glory for the murder of his colleagues.

"Mother fucker" he muttered, suddenly feeling very old and very tired he rubbed his hands over his face and necked the remainder of his drink. He reached down the side of the chair for his boots and pulled them on in one swift motion. "I should have shot the bastard" he muttered as he tied his laces, reaching for his side arm he slotted it into the holster in the small of his back, reverting back to the more comfortable position now he no longer needed to play at analyst. Just as he shrugged his jacket on his cell phone set off ringing, he was unsurprised to see Dar's number flash up on the screen.

"Where do you want me?" he greeted with no preamble.

"I need you to safe house delta delta 22" Dar stated, and immediately disconnected the call. Just as he picked up his car keys the cell rang again – this time showing Saul's number, he sighed, hesitating before he answered it.

"Yeh?" he answered as he moved towards the door.

"Peter- its Saul" the senior agent greeted. "Have you heard?"

"Yeh I just saw it on the news" Peter acknowledged.

"I need all the help I can get" Saul replied, trying to ignore the break in his own voice. Quinn hesitated, he knew that Saul knew who he really worked for- but he also knew it had never been confirmed officially to him. Saul was a seasoned agent, he knew how things worked and Quinn's hesitation gave him the answer with no words. "You already have your orders don't you?" he asked with a sigh.

"Sorry Saul" Peter replied with a sigh, feeling genuinely sorry that he couldn't go to help the man that he had grown to respect, but still unwilling to confirm anything to him.

"Carrie is missing" Saul stated, and heard the sharp intake of breath on the other end of the phone. He closed his eyes, knowing that it wasn't fair, Quinn had another role to fulfil. "I will keep you updated if you want" he offered, letting the younger man off the hook.

"Appreciated" Quinn responded before disconnecting the call and heading off, he had a job to do.

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Saul sighed, Quinn's response had confirmed that he was still on the group- he knew that he would have been one of the first operatives that Dar would contact.

Quinn was trustworthy- he knew that, sure he hadn't trusted him at first, but then he had come to see that the other man cared about his work, was focussed and thorough. He was also dam sure that Quinn had somehow been involved in his release from the building after Estes tried to plot his demise and he was also sure that it was somehow Quinn that had convinced Estes to drop the plot to kill Brody- he wondered how that would make the younger man feel now?

He pinched the bridge of his nose- he would never get the answers from Estes now, the man was dead, but he would be sure to attempt to have a conversation with Quinn at some point- maybe even try to convince the talented agent to come and work with him for a while- god knows he now needed all of the help he could get. The loss that surrounded him was massive.

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Carrie glanced around her- astounded to see the building in piles of rubble and the darkness that loomed, she wondered if it would ever feel light here again. She saw Saul stood in front of her, a lone man amidst the devastation. She could hear him speaking softly under his breath- a prayer she gathered.

"Saul" she called out, hoping she could lift him even marginally. He didn't even turn around as he continued with his prayer. "Saul" she stated again louder, and this time he turned to look at her. A gaze of utter confusion written on his aging face.

"Carrie" he queried, and after a few moments he moved towards her, taking hold of her in his arms and pulling her tight. "Where the hell have you been?" he whispered.

"It's a long story Saul" she replied softly, suddenly exhausted and feeling the first hint of guilt. She hadn't even thought of Saul- he must have thought she was dead. She hadn't even considered calling him or getting a message to him-somehow she had been too lost in her plan with Brody. "I'm sorry" she stated simply. He released his grip and pushed her slightly away, taking in her clean and changed appearance. Noting the cut to the side of her face but otherwise lack of injuries.

"You're ok?" he asked her.

"I wasn't on the hall when the blast went off" she replied simply and he sighed grateful she was there and in one piece but dreading her telling him exactly where she had been. "Who have we lost? Galvez? Estes?" she asked.

"Both confirmed dead" he replied with a sigh, and his shoulders once more slumping in sadness.

"Quinn?" she asked again.

"Peter wasn't here" he replied. "Some disagreement with Estes apparently" he responded.

"Where do we start?" she asked.

"We wait I guess- for the forensics and the total toll of those we have lost" he stated letting go of her elbow and moving away. "Come on lets go across to my office and we can update each other" he suggested, moving through the mess and knowing that she would follow him and do as she was told for once.

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Peter let the force of the water hit his aching muscles as he stood under the shower, washing off the dirt that he felt in his pores.

The last two days had been spent applying subtle pressure to every source he had, the rest of the group doing the same. He felt dirty and exhausted, relieved to slip under his sleeping bag.

He closed his eyes and tried to close his mind off, was he so wrong about Brody? Was the man really betrayed Carrie like it appeared? It just didn't ring true to the seasoned agent. Dar had told him the bomb had been in Brody's car- but was the former marine that stupid to use his own car?

The video that had been released presented the biggest doubt in his mind- why would they use the video that Brody had recorded all those months ago when he had backed out of the suicide vest mission. It just didn't quite ring true- but maybe that was wishful thinking because he couldn't hide from the truth. If Brody had been responsible for the Langley bombing then it was on Quinn- he could have taken him out and he didn't. He could have prevented the death of two hundred people, and he hadn't. Had he followed his heart instead of his head?

He sat up- sleep eluding him, he put his jeans back on, grabbed his wallet and headed out. Within twenty minutes he was sat in a bar, tumbler of whiskey in his hand. He sat in the corner at the bar, his entire posture screaming to be left alone. Who would have thought that an assignment in Washington would prove more perilous than the hell hole of Syria. He downed his drink and signalled for another, if he couldn't get sleep then he would drink himself to oblivion and hope that would force the rest he knew he desperately needed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

A fortnight had passed since the bombing, and everything was still moving as if in slow motion for Carrie. She had told Saul everything as he had known she would in the circumstances. He was partly horrified, partly terrified and partly proud of the brave and fearless action his young protégé had taken. He wasn't fully convinced in Brody's innocence, hell he was far from it- but he did trust Carrie's instinct.

The investigation had progressed and there was work to be done- work that Saul was keen to task to people that he trusted. He had already spoken to Dar Adal, who had agreed to step out of the shadows to assist his long term friend in stabilising the agency, he would remain as covert as possible- but Saul needed strength and experience.

"What time is he coming in? Carrie asked her former mentor as she sat on the sofa under the window.

"Any time now" Saul responded, just as a knock sounded on the door. "Come in" he called and smiled as Peter Quinn stepped through the door. The man looked tired, but then Saul guessed that they all did. It was a dark time for the agency and everyone involved was feeling the effects.

"Hey" the black ops agent greeted softly.

"Sit down Peter" Saul invited. Quinn complied, nodding in greeting at Carrie, it had been nearly a month since they had seen each other and he had only just got back in the country after a fact finding mission Dar had tasked him with. "I have an assignment for you" Saul stated simply, handing the younger man a manilla file. Quinn quirked his eyebrow not fully surprised.

"Timescale?" he asked simply.

"You ship out tomorrow" Saul responded. "It's solo" he added, and Quinn simply nodded, that's how he was used to working for individual assignments.

"No problem" he stated.

"You will be reporting directly back to me" Saul added. "Dar is aware" Quinn nodded again. Saul was used to the young man being quiet, but not almost mute. "Everything ok Peter?" Saul asked simply, Quinn's head jerked up his eyes meeting those of the temporary director. Quinn smiled his eyes never faltering.

"Everything is just fine" he replied, "is there anything else?" he asked as he closed the file.

"There is actually" Saul added. "Carrie can you give us a minute?" he instructed, Carrie looked confused, but nodded and got to her feet. "You never made it to the individual debrief for the Brody Op" Saul stated simply. Quinn sighed.

"Estes debriefed me" Quinn answered with a shrug.

"Is that so?" Saul questioned and Quinn nodded. "Did he cover the part where he had assigned you to kill Brody?" Saul asked, not wasting any time.

"You would have to read the file for that Saul" he stated with that steely grin.

"No I don't- I know that's why you were brought on and I am also fairly certain that you made the right call in the end" he commented. Quinn stayed silent, his gaze moving to his feet.

"How can you be so sure?" the younger man finally asked, swallowing back on the nausea that involuntarily rose in his stomach.

"Whatever happened afterwards would have happened regardless Peter- it was out of your control. What Estes tried to do was wrong, it was for him and nothing to do with the agency or the Nation" Saul meant every word he had said. He wasn't convinced he had any idea who Peter Quinn really was, or where he had come from- but he had been in the spy game for a very long time and he had a sixth sense for people, and his gut was telling him that Quinn was a good man.

"Why me?" Quinn asked as he gestured at the file he still held.

"I asked Dar for his best" Saul simply commented. "I need someone I can trust to get the job done, someone I can rely on" he added with a grin. Quinn sighed, and got to his feet.

"It won't leave the building" he stated as he headed towards the door. He walked away- Saul's words meaning more to him than he ever thought they would. He had been dwelling on the Brody situation, he still doubted if he had made the right choice, but at least Saul still believed in his value.

"Final briefing at 19:00hrs" Saul stated, Quinn nodded as he stepped through the door- he needed coffee.

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"What was that about? Carrie queried as she returned to Saul's office.

"Just discussing Peter's last assignment" Saul stated as he reached for his carton of milk.

"Is he all right?" she asked, noticing herself how quiet and almost withdrawn the other operative had appeared.

"He will be fine- just like the rest of us"

"Estes brought him in to kill Brody didn't he?" Carrie asked, her sharp mind joining the dots. Saul refrained from commenting and Carrie sighed taking his silence as confirmation. "Quinn decided against it didn't he?" she added.

"And got me released from being the scapegoat" Saul stated finally making eye contact.

"I wonder why he chose not to go through with it?" Carrie mused. Saul shrugged, got to his feet and walked around the desk.

"He's a good man, and an exceptional operative" is all he said as he ushered her out of the door. "We have two hours before I have to brief the teams up, and we need to work on our play- conference room in ten minutes" he told her. She nodded and headed out of the door to get some coffee.

Predictably she bumped into Quinn at the coffee station.

"Hey" she greeted gently, taking in his appearance. The handsome man looked tired and drawn, his eyes missing the usual spark.

"Hey Carrie" he replied with a small smile, pleased to see that she was safe and well.

"You ready to ship out?" She asked him.

"Yep- just need to brush up on the details and then good to go" Quinn replied putting the lid on his coffee and turning to leave.

"Quinn" Carrie's voice pulled him back. "Thanks for your help on the Brody case- I know it isn't your usual kind of op" she added, hinting that she knew his true posting, but not judging him for it. Quinn paused, not quite sure where to go with this conversation.

"It was fun" he replied eventually with a grin. She laughed out loud at his response, fun was definitely not the word that she would have chosen. "Anyway I don't have long to plan for this so I better get started" he added. She nodded and turned to pour her own coffee, feeling a small sense of disappointment that their conversation was over. She wasn't involved in the operation Quinn was assigned to- she only knew that Saul was entrusting him with the part of the planning for something big- she had her own assignment to work on. Just as he turned to leave he turned back towards her again. "Take care of yourself Carrie" he commented, his tone soft and his expression serious.

"You too Quinn- and remember it wasn't just Estes that thought you are extremely reliable" she added with a smile, hoping her words would hold the meaning she intended. He hesitated before nodding once and actually smiled.

"Pretty likeable too huh?" he added with a grin that lit up his eyes. She laughed at his comment before nodding in agreement.

"I suppose you are" she finally admitted- they both walked away feeling ever so slightly lighter than they did before.

The End


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